STASHED CHATS: TOM WELLING TALKS HIS NEW FILM “DRAFT DAY” by OJ Williams Draft Day, Smallville, Tom Welling Draft Day brings you into the inside world of the NFL. The story focuses on struggling general manager Sonny Weaver Jr. of the Cleveland Browns who has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number-one pick. Weaver has to decide what he is willing to sacrifice on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with NFL dreams. Draft Day is directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Chadwick Boseman, Terry Crews, and Tom Welling. The film is scheduled for release on April 11, 2014. We chatted with actor Tom Welling to discuss his role in the movie, working with Kevin Costner, his former hit show Smallville, and what he thinks of Ben Affleck playing Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel. STASHED: You mentioned earlier that you never played football in school … is that correct? Tom Welling: I’ve never played organized football. I’ve played a lot with friends—just a couple days ago I was out in the street throwing footballs with my buddies. But yeah, I’ve never played on a team. STASHED: Would you say you’re a football fan, or a casual fan? Welling: Casual fan. There’s no team that I rush home to. I don’t have to be home on Sunday watching football. STASHED: What made you want to play the role of Brian Drew? What do you look for in a role? Welling: What I liked about him is that, this is a guy who, he’s fighting for his way of life, and that’s very simply one of the major things that attracted me to him. And then, you know, being able to work with Ivan and Kevin, that was just icing on the cake. STASHED: And what was that like? Welling: Fantastic. You know, Kevin’s everything you want him to be, as a fan, and as an actor. And then Ivan has just got the ease and the honesty with the way that he directs that is just great. STASHED: What was the casting process like for you? Welling: I went in for one meeting, and the next day they said I had it, and ten days later I was on set. It was pretty quick for me; I guess some of the other guys had some more time, but I don’t know why it worked out the way it did, but I’m glad it happened. STASHED: I love the scene where you have a very heated confrontation with Sonny Weaver Jr. after trashing his office. What was it like to do that scene with Kevin? Welling: It was awesome, I mean, I met Kevin 20 minutes before that. STASHED: For the first time? Welling: Yeah, for the first time. And we just sort of chatted for a little bit, and then it was time to do the scene, and Kevin jumped right in. And, I don’t know, for having only met him 20 minutes before, when I saw the film in a screening, the scene does have a way to inform you that these characters have a relationship that’s bigger than just that moment, and it’s really cool that it happened that way. STASHED: I would never have guessed that you just met. Welling: I guess that’s where acting comes in [laughs]. STASHED: Speaking of what’s going on with Brian in the movie—he’s facing the potential of being replaced by this young hotshot, fresh out of college guy. How did you connect with that as an actor—that terrible realization that you might be on your way out? Welling: Well, I think that it’s a human thing. I mean, nobody wants to be replaced ever in anything—especially when you feel like you’re the best person for that job. So, that, for me as a human being, I could relate to that. STASHED: In the film your character is bouncing back from an injury, and is supposedly in the best shape of his life. What did you have to do physically to get ready for that? Welling: I didn’t have time for anything. I only had ten days, and two of those days I spent at the Cleveland Browns training camp. So I spent more time talking to people than I did physically working out. And then in the film, you don’t see me play football—you see me talk about it. STASHED: How do you compare the experience of filming a feature like Draft Day with filming an episodic television series like Smallville? Do you prefer one over the other? Welling: I don’t have a preference, because I don’t compare them. You know, I don’t compare being on stage to being on television, to being on film, because they’re apples and oranges. There are similarities, but you wouldn’t put them up against each other because they’re different beasts. In television, the shooting pace is faster, but the attention to the miniscule moments is diminished. And then in film, everything is paid attention to all the time, which is why the process takes longer. My focus is more on film right now, only because, to me, I have done more television than film, and I feel like I have a lot to learn in film. STASHED: Do you have any films coming up? Welling: No … but I say that STASHED: What’s it like to play one character for ten years? How did you evolve as an actor? Welling: Well, the cool thing about that character is that when I first started playing Clark, I didn’t know what I was doing at all, and neither did he. And then, as he learned about himself over the course of a decade, I hope that I learned a few things when it came to acting, and then directing and executive producing it. I think it was fantastic, you know, I learned a lot. I kind of feel like I went to college and then graduate school while I was there, and it was a great experience. And because of that, I’m able to have a shot at something like Draft Day, which is fantastic. STASHED: So you’re interested in directing? Welling: Yeah. STASHED: Did you watch the director during Draft Day to absorb some of that? Welling: I think I did when I wasn’t on camera. Once you get on camera you have to just focus. Your job, when you’re an actor, is to just be the actor. If I’m trying to keep track of how the director’s doing, then I’m not keeping track of my job. But there were days when I wasn’t working, or parts of the day when I wasn’t working, when I would go in and just sort of watch. I’m always curious as to what people’s processes are, whether it’s an actor or director. You can just learn by seeing what people do. Especially when they’re as successful as Kevin or Ivan—what are those elements that make them so successful? STASHED: How do you feel about Ben Affleck playing Batman? Welling: I was surprised when I heard about it. It’s hard to judge something before you see it, but I’m sure they’re going to do everything they can to make it the best project. They all have their reasons for what they do, and a lot of people have to sign off on it. I mean … I’ll go see it!
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 23:48:33 +0000
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